Module 3 – SLP
GROUP DECISION MAKING
One of the biggest complaints among managers is the huge
amount of time they have to spend in meetings. Ideally the purpose of meetings
is to put everyone’s heads together to solve a problem or make a decision. But
far too often they can lead to unproductive, time-wasting conversations and
even conflict.
For this assignment, think about some recent meetings you’ve
attended where a significant decision had to be made. Think carefully about how
some of the problems regarding group decision making that were discussed in the
background readings apply to what you’ve experienced. Then write a 2- to 3-page
paper addressing the following issues:
Are all voices equally heard, or are some people afraid to
speak up? Are participants in the meeting afraid to contradict senior
management?
Is time spent at the meetings productive, or is a lot of
time wasted?
Are the decisions that are made solid ones? Or do they
suffer from problems mentioned in the background materials such as groupthink?
Are ideas expressed at meetings creative and original, or
are original ideas discouraged?
Based on what you’ve described in Questions 1–4 above, what
kind of group decision-making process would you recommend be used in meetings
you attend? Base your answer on readings from the background materials such as
Moshal (2009), and Sims (2002).
SLP Assignment Expectations
Follow the assignment instructions closely and follow all
steps listed in the instructions.
Stay focused on the precise assignment questions; don’t go
off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background
materials.
Make sure to cite readings from the background materials
page. Rely primarily on the required background readings as your sources of
information.
Include both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the
Student Guide to Writing a High-Quality Academic Paper, including pages 13 and
14 on in-text citations.
